IOData: A python library for reading, writing, and converting computational chemistry file formats and generating input files
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Published on: April 13, 2022
Toon Verstraelen1, William Adams2, Leila Pujal3
1Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), Ghent University, Zwijnaarde, Belgium.
Abstract:
IOData is a free and open-source Python library for parsing, storing, and converting various file formats commonly used by quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics, and plane-wave density-functional-theory software programs. In addition, IOData supports a flexible framework for generating input files for various software packages. While designed and released for stand-alone use, its original purpose was to facilitate the interoperability of various modules in the HORTON and ChemTools software packages with external (third-party) molecular quantum chemistry and solid-state density-functional-theory packages. IOData is designed to be easy to use, maintain, and extend; this is why we wrote IOData in Python and adopted many principles of modern software development, including comprehensive documentation, extensive testing, continuous integration/delivery protocols, and package management. This article is the official release note of the IOData library.
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